Partnership Ushers in New Age of Manufacturing

LEETONIA, Ohio — A large 3-D printer acquired by Youngstown State University (YSU) and operated through a partnership with Humtown Products Inc. and America Makes is redirecting the course of manufacturing in the metals casting industry, officials say.

“Today is really the dawn of a new day for manufacturing in the Mahoning Valley,” Brett Conner said Tuesday. “This is just a catalyst.”

Conner is director of advanced manufacturing workforce initiatives at YSU.

Conner, YSU President Jim Tressel and Humtown President Mark Lamoncha joined more than 100 guests at Agile Castings Solutions, a subsidiary of Humtown, at its new building in World Trade Park here to cut the ceremonial ribbon and unveil the new printer.

Humtown is leasing the building in the park, while YSU brought in the new printer — a one-ton, S-Max industrial production printer estimated to cost $1 million. The printer, made possible from an Ohio Third Frontier grant awarded to YSU and America Makes — can create, through additive manufacturing, large, complex sand core molds used in metals casting. “We’re going to bring this technology here, have the opportunity for small, medium and large manufacturers to leverage this technology and expand in northeastern Ohio,” Conner said.